A Very Important Secret
by pottermum
Summary: Ginny Weasley loves attending the muggle primary school in Ottery St Catchpole. There she befriends a boy names Harry. Written for the Valentine's Day challenge on Tumblr, REddit and Discord. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Written for the Valentine's Day Challenge on Tumblr, Discord and Reddit.

Story is set in Feb 1987. Ginny is six and a half and Harry, seven and a half.

It was a typical Thursday at the local primary school in Ottery St Catchpole. Ginny Weasley liked going to school with her big brother Ron, although her biggest brothers were actually at Hogwarts. But she couldn't tell anybody here about Hogwarts, it was a Very Important Secret.

Ginny liked having a Very Important Secret; that she was part of a magical family, and Hogwarts was a special school for young wizards and witches, but sometimes she wished she could tell one of her new friends, maybe Sally or Joanne, they were nice. But Mum and Dad had been most adamant – she was not to share the Very Important Secret with anybody!.

The bell rang for lunch. "Children, you may leave your art supplies on your tables, we'll continue after lunch. Please grab your lunch boxes and move quietly to the yard. Andrew, I said quietly! Harry, please get your lunch and return here," said their teacher, Mrs Bartlett.

"I don't have any lunch, Mrs Bartlett." Harry spoke softly and bowed his head, as if ashamed.

Ginny joined the queue to leave the small classroom; ignoring the bustling of the others. She was used to being the smallest in the group, she was the youngest and only girl in her large family. While she was waiting, she spared a look of sympathy for their newest student, Harry Potter, a boy who had joined their classroom just last week. Finally, she was outside, but still thinking about Harry.

She giggled to herself; this boy Harry had the exact same name as Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, from her magical world. Only this Harry was different from how she imagined her hero, Harry. This Harry wore clothes that were too big for him, and was quiet, even seeming sad at times. When he had first joined the class for lunch outside, he never ate anything. He was nearly a whole year older than Ginny, but was put into her first year class, instead of the second years, like her brother Ron. She had overheard Mrs Bartlett suggest he needed new glasses, for his were broken, and she would send a note home to his guardians. This made Ginny wonder where his parents were.

Ginny sat with Sally and Joanne, only half listening as they ate their lunches, as they were trying to come up with a game to play. It was a brilliant day for flying, and Ginny couldn't wait till the weekend, and sneak out early to take Fred's broom and fly by herself again. She had done it the last three weekends, and couldn't believe she had gotten away with it. Another Very Important Secret!

Flying was something she really loved to do, and flying all by herself was the best. The twins, Fred and George, and even Ron, wouldn't let her fly with them, so it was only when Billy or Charlie were home that they would relent and take her up with them. She couldn't wait to show them all that she could fly all by herself!

"What do you think about the new boy, Harry?" Joanne asked the question.

Ginny blinked, coming out of her musings to look at her friends. Not her _best_ friends, mind, that was Luna, who lived close by to her home, the Burrow. She could tell Luna _anything,_ and Luna always understood. Luna was a witch like her, so she already knew the Very Important Secret. Luna's dad said she didn't need to go to muggle school, when the two girls had asked if Luna could join Ginny. Sad about being separated, the two had pinky-promised that, no matter what, they'd be best friends forever.

"He's weird." Sally responded after giving the matter some thought. "His clothes don't fit, he doesn't bring any lunch and he's so quiet."

Something flared in Ginny; indignation, hurt for someone who wasn't there to defend himself. She had been called weird by some mean boys in the village, while she waited for her mum at the grocer's. She didn't like it, and she wasn't about to let the others get away with saying it.

"He's not weird, he's just...sad. Lonely."

"Sad?" asked Joanne. "Does he cry?"

Sometimes Ginny thought he nearly might, especially when someone was nice to him, which she thought was strange. "No," she replied, "but he's not loud or rough like the other boys." Harry was nothing like the other boys at all, even her brothers.

"Ooh, has Weasley got a crush," teased Gavin, overhearing. He was one of the biggest boys in her class. "Weasley loves Potter. They're gonna get married and have babies with red hair and really bad eyes."

"Stop it," snapped Ginny. "You're being silly."

"Or maybe they'll have messy black hair and freckles everywhere," he continued.

"Shut it!"

Gavin stepped closer. "Make me, little girl," he taunted.

"Oooh," cooed the other members of their classroom, gathering round.

Ginny could feel her face getting red. She curled her fingers into her palm, remembering her brother's advice. _Tuck your thumb in._

Someone close to her gasped. "She's gonna punch him!"

Gavin swallowed; like all bullies, he was all talk. Ginny narrowed her eyes and pulled her arm back.

"Teacher," hissed someone, and the group dispersed quickly. Gavin raised his eyebrows at Ginny, claiming some sort of victory. She lowered her arm, still seething. Never had she wanted to hex anybody more in her whole entire life!

She kept a close eye on Gavin and the boys he hung around with, but it seemed they had now moved on to throwing stones at a bird in a tree. Luckily the teacher saw them, and moved them away.

Harry hadn't come out of the classroom with the teacher. While she was waiting for her turn at the skipping rope, she ran to the teacher's side. "Please, Mrs Bartlett, where is Harry?"

The teacher looked down at her, smiling. "Harry has a bit of work to do to catch up, so he asked if he could stay inside for lunch."

"Did he eat lunch today? Because my mum always gives me lots, and sometimes, like today, I can't eat it all. Maybe Harry could have it," suggested Ginny.

"That's very kind of you, dear, but I brought Harry some lunch today myself. I had sent a letter home to his guardians, but Harry said he lost it on the way home," mused the teacher.

"Maybe his fat cousin Dudley ate it," said Ginny.

The teacher snorted, then pulled herself together. "Now Ginny, that's not a very nice thing to say," she reprimanded.

Ginny shrugged. "It's the nicest thing I could think of to say about Dudley." Dudley Dursley had already made his presence felt, in the few days they had been at school since the family had moved from the city to Ottery St Catchpole for Vernon Dursley's work.

"Hmmm." Privately, the teacher tended to agree, but she couldn't let the little girl know that. "You know, Ginny, Harry really needs a friend right now. His parents died, you see, and I don't think he and Dudley get along very well. Dudley says strange things happen around Harry. I don't see it, though, he seems a very gentle boy who wants to learn. He could certainly do with a friend."

The bell sounded; lunch was over. "Hurry along children, wash your hands, then back to the classroom. We're going to finish off our Valentine's so they're ready to hand out tomorrow," she called, encouraging them to pick up their litter and hurry along. She supervised their toileting and hand-washing before they all went back to class.

" Please go on with your Valentine's quietly," she instructed, motioning Harry to bring his reader over to her.

Ginny had worked hard on her Valentine's; she wanted to take them home tonight. One for her dad, one for her mum, one for Billy and Charlie (Mum had said they'd send their new owl Errol with them, so they'd receive them at breakfast), one for Percy, Fred and George, and one for Ron. She also made a sparkly one to give to Luna when they played together after school the next day.

She finished early and took a moment to look around. Everyone was still working on theirs, and she was sure she had the most people to make a special card for. She had drawn a big airy-plane on her dad's card, it sprinkled love hearts over the whole world. On her mum's she had drawn a jumper that said _'Mum'_ with a big heart under it. Billy's was a broom, because he was the best flyer in the family. Charlie's, of course, had a dragon on it, and Percy's she had copied the big _'M'_ for the Ministry of Magic, where Percy wanted to work after Hogwarts.

She had drawn wands and fireworks on Fred's and a beater's bat for George, his favourite position when the brothers played quidditch. Ron's was all covered in orange, for his favourite quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons. When Mrs Bartlett had glanced at them, she had praised Ginny for her imagination.

Satisfied, she put them in a stack. She still had some parchment left. She looked around, her gaze settling on Harry, who was now writing out numbers and doing some maths problems with Mrs Bartlett. He was trying real hard, she could tell, and in an instant she knew what she would do.

She sharpened her pencils (they still felt so strange to use, instead of quills). She got to drawing Harry himself, although she was really drawing her hero, Harry Potter. It was true, they both had the same messy black hair and bright green eyes that was in the stories she had been read ever since she could remember. And her Harry smiled all the time, not like _this_ Harry. But she gave this Harry a smile on his face; she hoped he would smile when he opened it tomorrow.

But then she had another thought. She wondered when Harry would have time to make a Valentine for somebody special to him. She watched him rub his eyes, getting frustrated with his maths. No parents, no brothers or sisters ( she wondered what that would be like), and just his mean cousin. It sounded very lonely, and she wondered if that was why he was so sad.

"Children, it's nearly home time. Time to pack up all your art supplies and tidy your desks," said Mrs Bartlett, clapping her hands to get the children's attentions.

"Wow, that's a lot of Valentine's," noted Sally, looking at Ginny's pile. She had also made some for her friends at school, which she was going to leave at school overnight. Each student had a cubby hole where they placed their bags every morning, and any important notes that had to go home to the parents were placed in there too. Tomorrow, all the students could go and place Valentine's day cards in their friend's cubby holes.

"I have a big family," grinned Ginny. They walked to their cubby holes together, both grabbing their bags.

"You coming?" asked Sally. Sometimes the girls walked a little way home together with their mothers, before they parted at a fork in the road. Then her mother would Apparate herself, Ron and Ginny home, when nobody was looking.

Ginny noticed Harry moving slowly, almost like he really didn't want to go home. "You go ahead. I need to ask Mrs Bartlett something," she said.

Sally shrugged. "Okay. See you tomorrow. I hope I get lots and lots of Valentines," she giggled.

Ginny waved goodbye to her and deliberately took her time packing away her lunch box, drink bottle and all her Valentines.

"All right, Ginny?" called Mrs Bartlett.

"Yes, Ma'am. I just thought I'd wait for Harry," she replied, smiling at the boy.

Harry looked up, startled. "F-for me?" he stuttered, completely surprised.

Ginny nodded. "Want to walk out together?"

He flushed. "Sh-sure. Okay." He hurriedly grabbed his old bag from his cubby hole.

"Harry, are you sure you don't want to take the reading books home with you? I really don't mind," said Mrs Bartlett.

"I have a lot of chores to do when I get home, Mrs Bartlett. I probably won't get time to read them," he said apologetically. But the way he looked at the books longingly, Ginny guessed he really would like to.

"I have chores to do at home, too," said Ginny.

He looked startled. "You do?"

Ginny nodded. "I have to set the table for dinner; and after dinner I bring the dirty plates to the sink for mum to wash."

"That's all? You-you don't help cook, or clean, or garden?" asked Harry, as they walked out together.

Ginny giggled. "I'm just six and half, I'm still learning."

He looked glum. "Yeah, me too," he lied.

"Ginny? Ginny dear, over here." They both looked over to see Molly Weasley waving at her.

"That's my mum," Ginny told him. She looked around. "Do you have someone to pick you up?"

Just as Harry shook his head, his cousin Dudley came along. "Hurry up, Freak," he snarled. "I don't want to be late, there's a show on the telly I want to watch."

"Telly?" asked Ginny, looking between the two boys. "What's telly?"

"Television," explained Harry, quietly, his eyes downcast.

"Oh! My dad's told me about them," cried Ginny.

"You don't have a telly? Are you a freak, too?" sneered Dudley.

"Stop it, Dudley...please," said Harry, quietly. " Leave her alone."

"Why are you so mean? Just because I don't have a telabision? Well, I don't even want a telabision, so there," said Ginny, vehemently.

"Ginny!" called her mother. Ron was at her side; the twins were too rambunctious for the muggle school and so they and Percy were being homeschooled, the latter to prepare him for Hogwarts.

Ginny waved to her mum, then looked back at Harry. "See you tomorrow, Harry. Don't forget, we're handing out our Valentine's tomorrow."

Dudley laughed loudly. "Who'd give Harry a Valentine. Nobody will _ever_ love him."

Harry hunched his shoulders over. "Bye Ginny." He began to walk home alone, although Dudley hurried after him, to continue his taunting.

Ginny watched Harry leave, as she herself walked over to her mother. "Mum, why are some boys so mean?"

Molly sighed. " Sometimes it's for attention, sometimes its because they are spoiled. Has someone been bullying you?"

Ginny shook her head. "No Mum, not me. I think Dudley bullies Harry, his very own cousin. They just started here last week."

"Well hopefully their parents put an end to it. Being a bully at this age can lead to worse things down the track. Now, did you bring your Valentines home to send to your brothers at -" she lowered her voice - "Hogwarts?"

Ginny nodded. "And I'll put Percy's, Fred and George's, and Ron's under their door on Saturday morning. I'll leave dad's on the table, so he can read it while he has breakfast."

Molly hugged her. "You're a good girl, Ginny love."

Ginny smiled, but her thoughts were still with Harry. "Mum, can you make me an extra sandwich for Harry tomorrow, please? He hasn't brought any lunch at all this week, and even Mrs Bartlett brought him some today."

"We'll see, love, now come along," urged Molly, still somewhat unsure around the muggles. " Come on, Ronald."

That night, after dinner and her bath, Ginny came downstairs and rummaged in her school bag. "It's nearly bed time, love," reminded her dad.

"I know, Dad. I just have something to do before I go." She had thought a lot about Harry since school ended, particularly about his Valentine card. With that in mind, she set to work to make yet another card for Harry, in the hope he really did have someone special to give it to. Perhaps his aunt? She put her very best work into it, and because she wanted it to be the best, she drew wands and brooms and pygmy puffs and nifflers on it, giggling that the muggles wouldn't even know what they were.

She couldn't wait to get to school the next morning, even hurrying Ron along so they would arrive early. She slipped the card for Harry in his cubby hole, and the extra one she'd added a little note explaining she had made it so he could give it to someone special. She then quickly added cards to cubby holes for her several other friends.

She sat and waited for Harry; he was one of the last to arrive, looking scuffed and dirty, his hair all a mess. "Sorry Mrs Bartlett," he said, trying to tame his hair and dust his clothes. "I-I fell down." Ginny saw a big rip in his pants.

Mrs Bartlett's frowned, but she nodded at Harry. "Put your bag away and take your seat, Harry," she said kindly.

Ginny watched him put his bag away, but not before he found her cards. His gaze swung to her after he read it, and she smiled in what she hoped was a friendly way.

After the teacher had done the role call, she handed out some paper. " Okay, today we are doing a fun quizz. You have two minutes to write down as many items as you can that start with the first letter of your name. For example," -she looked around - "Sally, you could perhaps write, Sunday, Saturn, sunshine, Spring. Do you get the idea?"

All the students nodded. "And – go," said the teacher, walking around the room as they wrote. She smiled at some of the answers she could see. "And- stop, pencils down. Exchange your paper with another class mate and go over your work."

Ginny didn't bother to see if Sally or Joanne wanted to swap, she got up and went straight over to Harry. "Hi. Want to swap?"

Harry nodded bashfully. "Here." He thrust his paper into her hands and took hers.

She slid into the seat next to him. "Happy. Home. Healthy. High. Harrod's, hair, hand, hard, heart, hospital, hot. Wow, you've done loads! House, Halloween, hungry, headache, is this word hallow?"

"No, hollow," replied Harry.

"Hong Kong, Hawaii, hamburger, hate, hell, hot dog, honey, Heidi. Who's Heidi?" asked Ginny, wondering if she was Harry's special someone.

He shrugged. "I began to read a book about her once. It was in the dentist office, Dudley had to have a check up. They had loads of books, said they were their daughter's but she outgrew them."

"Well, you've done loads more than me," said Ginny, as they went over her list.

"Gringotts, George -"

"That's my brother, he's a twin," interrupted Ginny.

He nodded, continuing to read down the list. "Galleons, Gryffindor, wait, are these even real words?" She felt a pang - had she given away her Very Important Secret?

"I wrote down some of your words too, look," she said defensively. "Green, grass-"

"Ginny, why did you give me that Valentine's day card? The blank one?" he clarified, interrupting her.

"You've been working on your lessons real hard this week. I didn't think you had time to make one for your special someone, your Valentine," she explained quietly.

He looked sad but said nothing for a bit. Then he smiled. "I liked your poem in my card."

Ginny giggled. _"Roses are red, Violets are blue. Wanna be friends? Happy Valentine's Day to you."_

"Do you really wanna be my friend, Ginny?" he asked, as if unsure.

" Of course I do," said Ginny.

"Okay, class, return to your seats and take out your readers," instructed Mrs Bartlett. Ginny smiled encouragingly at Harry, and returned to her seat.

Harry had slid her card into his reader, so while he should have been reading, he was actually looking at Ginny's cards. The one with the poem was nice, with lots of strange drawings on the front. But it was the lovely words inside that filled his heart with joy.

She wanted to be his friend. Finally, he had a friend of his very own.

The day passed quickly, and to Ginny's disappointment, Harry stayed in at lunch again. She had slipped her extra sandwich into his bag at recess, and she knew their teacher saw and would hopefully let Harry know.

When the bell rang to signify the end of the day, Ginny knew she couldn't linger, for her mother dropped her to the Lovegood's home so she could play with Luna each Friday. She hurried to grab her bag and was surprised to see the card she had made for Harry to give away was in her cubby hole.

At first she thought he had returned it, and felt a bit hurt. But then she saw he had added a drawing of a cat on the cover. Curious, she opened it and read. " _To Ginny. I like your hair, you're always fair, you're very pretty and you always share. Happy Valentine's Day to my friend. From Harry."_

Ginny spun around to see Harry watching her nervously. She grabbed her bag and went to him. "For me...really?"

He nodded, nervously.

She looked at him curiously "Do you really like my hair?" she asked.

He looked at it and nodded. "It's all sorts of colours, all golds and reds and shimmery...and it smells real good."

She couldn't help it, she had to hug him. "Oh, Harry."

He tentatively hugged her back. "You even drew my scar on my card. I didn't think anyone had noticed it."

She drew back. "Pardon?"

He pulled his hair away from his forehead, showing her a lightening bolt scar.

"Ginny dear, your mother is waiting for you," said Mrs Bartlett gently. She had witnessed the exchange between the two and was touched.

Ginny grimaced. "I have to go. Happy Valentine's day, Harry."

And she kissed his cheek.

She hurried away, but called over her shoulder. "I'll bring you an extra sandwich again on Monday, we'll eat together outside, okay? Bye."

And she was gone.

Harry raised his hand to his cheek, still feeling the lingering pressure of her kiss.

"All right, Harry?" asked his teacher.

Harry nodded, numb.

"So I guess you won't be staying in at lunch any more," guessed Mrs Bartlett.

Harry flushed. "Is that okay?"

"It's fine, Harry. You're doing really well in your lessons, you know," she told him.

"I am?" He frowned; he wasn't supposed to do better than Dudley at school.

She nodded. "Harry, I want you to know that if anything is troubling you, anything at all, you can talk to me. Or Ginny. It's nice to have a friend, a special friend, isn't it?"

He nodded slowly. Mrs Bartlett wasn't the first teacher to ask him if he had any troubles, but really, what could they do? Take him away from his family? Who knows where he might end up. And then there were all the strange things that always happened to him. His aunt cutting his hair and having it regrow overnight. His cousin and his friends chasing Harry, and he suddenly was on the roof of the house. And then there were the nightmares of a green light, of a flying motorbike...

No, best to leave things alone and plod on. But one day he'd leave the Dursleys, that much he knew. One day he'd have friends and a family, a real family that loved and cared about him.

It was what he wanted most of all, more than just about anything.

So he did what he always did. "Thanks, Mrs Bartlett, but I'm fine. See you on Monday." He swung his bag over his shoulder and departed.

His teacher sighed; she had been sure he was about to confide in her. Still, it would be interesting to see what would happen now that Harry had Ginny Weasley on his side. She was a fiery one, that one.

As for Harry, he did indeed plod on. But something had changed in him, for no matter how nasty it got at the Dursley's, whenever he escaped to his tiny cold attic bedroom, Ginny's card was hanging up, reminding him that he did have a friend, that someone did _see_ him, that he _was_ worthy of friendship.

In time, circumstances would force the Dursleys to leave the small village and they moved back to the city, this time to Surrey. He hated to leave Ginny, for their friendship had only gotten stronger. Ginny promised to write, but the Dursleys had gotten funny about letters addressed to him, especially after his tenth birthday.

And on his eleventh birthday, a giant broke down a door to tell Harry a Very Important Secret.

~end~


	2. Chapter 2

August 31st, 1991

 _I close my eyes and I can see a world that's waiting up for me_

 _That I'll call my own_

Harry could barely sleep, continuously looking over at his new trunk, filled with all he will need at his new school – Hogwarts. For Hagrid had come to him on his eleventh birthday and told him a Very Important Secret.

He was a wizard.

Everything now made perfect sense, all the strange things he was able to do. Hagrid had also told him why his aunt and uncle didn't really want to raise him, that they deplored all things magical, including Petunia's own sister, Harry's mother, Lily.

It only made him more determined to do well, learn as much as he could, make friends at this school where he'd finally meet people just like himself, so one day he could leave the Dursleys behind. Except -

He'd miss Ginny. He'd never imagined he'd have a friend like Ginny, someone who cared for him, who always sent him something for his birthday and Christmas, who fussed over him when he wasn't feeling well, and continuously brought extra food for him to eat.

She'd been his friend, his very best friend, since his second week at primary school. He knew Luna was her best friend forever, but Ginny and Harry had both agreed their friendship was special. Even when Harry and his aunt, uncle and cousin had returned to the city for his uncle's work, they still wrote to each other weekly. However, his aunt wouldn't let him visit, despite Ginny's many pleas.

He felt like he was leaving her behind... again.

But no, he would never do that. Somehow, he would find a way to include her in his new life. Ginny was his friend, his very best friend.

And that was more precious to him than just about anything.

/*/*/*/*

His uncle had accompanied him to King's Cross Station, laughing unkindly as Harry rechecked his ticket. " Platform 9 and ¾? There's no such thing!"

He left Harry there alone.

Harry looked to his right and to his left. What to do? He checked the platforms again. 9, 10...no platform 9 ¾.

"Hurry up, children, oh, I just know we're going to be late. Now, who knows the platform number? Ronald?"

Harry turned as Ron Weasley proudly announced "9 ¾, Mum!"

"Right you are. Fred, George, you go through, Percy, you can -"

"HARRY!"

He had to let go of his trunk as a blur of red ran straight at him; he caught her in time.

"Ginny? You...you know about Platform 9 ¾?"

She nodded, her eyes brighter, almost blazing, than he had ever seen before. " You know about the Very Important Secret too?" she asked. " About magic and Hogwarts?"

He nodded. "You're coming to Hogwarts too? We'll be at school together again!" His heart was fit to burst.

Her smile dimmed as she shook her head. "Ron is going this year, but I have another year till I can go."

"Come on, dears, hello, Harry, what a lovely surprise, you and Ron can keep each other company. Ginny, help Harry through the barrier. Here we go, one, two, three." Used to the madness of the first day of September, Molly got them all through.

 _Through the dark, through the door, where I've never been before._

 _But it could be home._

Harry and Ron grabbed a carriage together and, despite the thrill he felt as the train began to move, he felt bereft at suddenly seeing Ginny in this new world of his, no, theirs, then having to leave her again.

He looked out the window; she was running alongside the train.

"Have fun," she called, waving. "Don't forget me, I'll be with you next year."

"I will...and I'll write. Bye," he called, waving.

 _However big, however small, let me be part of it all_

 _Share your dreams with me._

 _You may be right, you may be wrong but say you'll bring me along,_

 _To the world you'll see._

He sat back, sad but excited.

He was on his way.

/*/*/*

Hogwarts was everything he had dreamed it to be. It was a castle, with ghosts and unicorns, with dwarves and elves and a half giant. Here he wasn't a freak; Hogwarts was where he belonged.

He wrote and told Ginny all about Hogwarts, and she shared what she knew from her brothers. How he wished she were here this year, and they could share it all together.

Ron became a good friend, as did Neville and Anthony and Terry. He got along well with Seamus and Dean too, his dorm mates in Gryffindor.

A Ravenclaw named Hermione was probably the smartest person he knew, and she learned new spells and charms faster than all of the first years. He thought Lavender and Parvati giggled too much and often studied with Hannah, Susan and Lisa in the library.

Defense Against the Dark Arts was his favourite lesson, and he found he seemed to have a natural flare for it. To his surprise, he ended the year top in the subject.

He also loved to fly and hoped to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team next year. He knew from her letters that Ginny loved to fly too, and couldn't wait till summer's end when he was going to spend a whole month at the Burrow.

His aunt and uncle were only too happy to see him go. They dropped him off in the city the day before his birthday; he would go to Diagon Alley with the Weasleys to get his school books and sundry, and catch the train with them.

 _They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy,_

 _They can say, they can say we lost our minds._

 _I don't care, I don't care if they call us crazy._

 _Runaway to a world that we design._

Hogwarts was brilliant but even more so with Ginny there too. To his delight, she was also Sorted into Gryffindor.

Despite not having any lessons together, they still studied side by side in their common room, claiming the spot in front of the fire as their own. Sometimes Ron joined them, or Luna snuck in – she'd been Sorted into Ravenclaw – sometimes others drifted in and out. But most times it was just Harry and Ginny, and that was fine with them.

The years passed. Both made the Gryffindor Quidditch team; she as Chaser, he as Seeker. He asked her to the Yule Ball in his fourth year and she accepted. She asked him to show her around Hogsmeade. They studied together, ate together, pranked together – and occasionally each other – and sometimes even fell asleep together in front of the fire.

Fred and George had left Hogwarts and passed a special map to Ginny; the Marauders Map. Ginny and Harry put it to good use, exploring the castle and grounds thoroughly, for it showed secret passages and tunnels, and where every person at Hogwarts was at any given time.

It was Ginny that found the Room of Requirement and showed it to Harry. Together they made a room that reminded Harry of the Burrow, with its comfy sofa, cushions and rugs. A blazing fire kept them warm and an overly friendly elf named Dobby brought them cocoa and freshly made biscuits.

There they did their homework, practiced spells and charms – Harry teaching her the spells he had learnt – discussed Quiddtch tactics and all the Hogwarts gossip, never knowing that they were probably the most gossiped about couple in the whole school.

He was now sixteen, she was fifteen. Puberty had hit their peers hard. Boy's voices changed, girls were moodier; hormones were rampant at Hogwarts. Harry was oblivious to the many hopeful looks that followed him, for he was no longer a small, scrawny boy.

He knew what was happening to his body; Bill Weasley had given him the talk one night at the Burrow. He also was aware his feelings for Ginny had intensified, and he didn't know what to do about it.

Ginny had developed too, showing signs of the beautiful woman she was to become. Her fiery hair reached half way down her back; she had added curves to her petite frame, curves that made his fingers itch to touch. Curves that invaded his dreams at night, so much so he was relieved Ron had never studied Legilmancy.

One late November night they were in the Room of Requirement, homework finished and a wireless playing softly. He was reading the Daily Prophet, she was reading Quiddtch Monthly, leaning against each other on the sofa when she nudged him to show him something in the magazine. He looked down at the page, then at her, just as she looked up at him.

Time stood still.

It seemed perfectly natural to lean down and kiss her. She kissed him back. They drew apart, eyeing each other cautiously.

 _Now what?_

Suddenly, they both laughed. They were being silly. This was them, Harry and Ginny. Somewhat shyly this time, Ginny lifted her face to him again.

He cupped her cheek in his hand and their eyes met. His asking acceptance, hers granting it.

They kissed again, lightly; softly. Then deeper; longer. Neither had kissed anyone else before, not like this. Nor would they.

It was well past curfew by the time they left the Room of Requirement hand in hand, only just missing Hermione Granger, the prefect on patrol. But from that night on, they were a couple.

The Room of Requirement changed the following year, adding a kind sized bed. Harry and Ginny explored their new relationship without shame or guilt – Ginny had been brought up to 'wait' for her wedding night to lose her virginity – but they both knew they belonged together.

When Harry left Hogwarts to begin an apprenticeship as a broom maker, he snuck into the castle to see her as often as he could. He joined her family at Hogwarts to see her graduate, for he was as good as another son to Molly and Arthur Weasley.

Soon he would become a son by marriage, although for now, it was their own Very Important Secret. He had proposed on Valentine's Day that year; they wanted to wait till after graduation to tell her family.

The future was theirs.

/*/*/*/*

His apprenticeship complete, Harry now worked for the Firebolt company, the best broom he'd ever ridden. He loved his work, testing new brooms, adjusting various charms for individual brooms, including many of the professional Quiddtch players.

Ginny became a Quidditch reporter for the Daily Prophet so their careers loosly intermingled.

 _There's a house we can build, every room inside is filled_

 _With things from far away._

 _The special things I compile, each one there to make you smile_

 _On a rainy day._

"The structure is solid, basically, it just needs some tender loving care," explained the realtor, watching the young couple look around. " A bit of paint perhaps. The Floo can be connected within a day and -"

"Harry, look at the back yard," the woman cried, interrupting the realtor's spiel. She beckoned the handsome man to her, their shiny new bands on their left hands depicting they were newly weds.

"I was saving that for last, I know you both mentioned you wanted a large yard to fly in," beamed the realtor.

The couple smiled at her, leaving her to step out into the yard. " So, what do you think?" asked Harry, nervously.

"Well, dad has already had it checked out and the realtor is right, the structure is solid. I liked the kitchen, and that small room could be an office," said Ginny, hesitantly.

Harry nodded. "The bedrooms are a good size and then there's the yard. It's just what we wanted."

"So, we agree?" she asked.

Harry took a deep breath and turned to look at the back of the house; the realtor keeping an eye on them from the window. "Yep. It's perfect."

Ginny squealed and jumped into his arms. He laughed, spinning her around. "Let's go sign the papers."

/*/*/*/*

Harry walked down the hall to check on his youngest child. His eldest, James Arthur, was twelve and already at Hogwarts. His middle child, another son, was Evan Rubeus, and he would be starting at Hogwarts this September. They were good, kind boys and Harry was proud of the young men they were becoming.

He opened the door, in time to see Lily Luna, near the window, look around in alarm, then scurry back to bed. She pulled the covers up to her nose, so only her bright brown eyes, so like his beloved Ginny, were visible.

"Hi Daddy."

"You should be asleep by now, Lily." He tried to sound stern but he could see she wasn't buying it. He was the softy when it came to their kids. Lily's bedcovers had come down and she sat up expectantly.

"Did you have a nice dinner with mum?" she asked.

"Yes, we did, thank you, Lily. What were you doing near the window?" he asked calmly.

"Nothing." A flush came over her face, for she hadn't yet learned to mask her lies.

"Lily? You weren't going to go for a fly, were you?" he asked knowingly.

She nodded slowly. Harry took a deep breath.

"But Daddy, I found a fairy and her wing was broken and she couldn't fly properly," argued Lily, before he could say anything.

The fairy in question was on Lily's bedside table, nodding vigorously.

Harry walked around her bed, spying her broom sticking out under her bed. "Were you planning to fly her out your window?" he asked, aghast. His daughter would turn his hair grey with her antics, he was sure.

"She needs to get back to her family," protested Lily.

"Where did you find this fairy?" asked Harry, suspiciously. He eyed her sternly.

"In my tree," answered Lily slowly, unable to lie when her dad looked at her like that. A huge tree grew outside her bedroom window and many times he had caught her out on a large branch, usually scrambling to get back into her room before she was caught.

"We'll take her back tomorrow. Right now, you should be asleep," he said.

Lily looked over at the fairy, as if asking if that would be all right. The fairy shrugged and settled down to sleep. Lily turned back to her dad, settling back in her bed.

Harry tucked the covers around her and sat down on the side of her bed. "So, fairy rescuer this week, hmm?"

Lily giggled. Last week she had wanted to go and help Uncle Charlie work with dragons, and just yesterday her mum had read Auntie Luna's latest letter out loud, and she mentioned she was studying Cornish Pixies. A month ago, after chatting with Dobby, their eldest house-elf, she decided she was going to become a healer for house-elves.

"I just want to help everyone, Daddy," insisted the little girl with the big brown eyes that melted his heart, just as her mother's did.

"You're going to do great things in the world, my Lily love," he told her, leaning over to press a kiss on her forehead.

Lily smiled. Harry went to stand but she grabbed his hand. "Daddy, wait!"

He sat back down, and watched as she pulled a card out from under her pillow. Giggling again, she handed it to him.

"Mummy helped me with the poem," she told him, somewhat shyly. " It's you and me on the front."

"Is this one me, or am I the one wearing a pink dress?" he asked her, a twinkle in his eye.

"Daddy, you don't wear dresses," she burst out laughing. "See, look, you're wearing glasses and I'm not."

" Right, I see now. Okay, To Daddy," he read, opening it. He started to read but had to stop, and start again, his voice thick with emotion.

"Although right now I'm kind of small, when I'm with you, I'm ten feet tall.

Like you, I want to be brave and smart, 'cause I love you, Daddy, with all my heart.

Love from Lily."

He read the words to himself again, then looked at her. He remembered holding his daughter in his arms just after her birth, feeling that wonderful surge of love that he and Ginny had created this miracle.

" Do you like it, Daddy?" she asked hesitantly.

He simply held his arms open wide, and with a grin, she thrust the bed covers back and practically leapt into his arms. "I love you, Daddy," she said.

Four simple words to warm his heart. He hugged her harder till she squirmed to be set free. He set her on his knee. "I have something for you too, Lily."

He pulled a card out from his shirt, under his travel cloak. He handed it to Lily, who took it with a sense of awe.

"But Valentine's Day is for you and Mummy," she said.

Harry shook his head. " For both my special girls," he told her.

She beamed, pleased to be elevated to the same level as her mum. She looked at the card. It had a big heart on the front with the words, " To Lily."

She opened it and began to read. "Your eyes always twinkle and shine like star light. Your smile makes me giggle and laugh with delight. I can't help but smile just hearing your name, and seeing you sleeping does just the same. And whether you're here or we're far apart, you'll always be part of me...," There was another heart drawn, with words inside, "here in my heart. Love, Dad," she finished.

She looked up at Harry, who nodded and patted his heart. She hugged him again, as hard as she could. " Thank you, Daddy."

A flutter of wings and a tinkling sound made them both look over at the fairy, who was looking cross at being kept awake. Lily slid off Harry's lap and returned to her bed.

Harry tucked her back in again. "No more adventures tonight, no more climbing out windows, sneaking your brother's broom to go for a fly. No looking for fairies or snorkaks or kittens or chasing rainbows or anything. Sleep, my Lily-pad."

"I can't help it, Daddy. Lots and lots of ideas pop into my head at night, it's not fair. Sleeping is so silly."

"You do lots of growing while you sleep, Lily," reminded Harry. "Come on, now, settle down."

She yawned. "I'm not even tired," she said stubbornly. "Tell me a story?"

He was surprised, she had outgrown that habit two years ago. " All right, but only if you lay there and close your eyes."

She nodded obediently and closed her eyes, quickly re-opening to make sure he was still there. Harry took her hand in his and began to half speak, half sing.

" _Every night I lie in bed, the brightest colours fill my head,_

 _A million dreams are keeping me awake."_

Lily's eyes flew open. "Yes, Daddy, that's just what it's like. how did you know?"

He stared pointedly at her and she sighed, shutting her eyes again. Still, she he knew her dad would understand!

Harry began again. _"Every night I lie in bed, the brightest colours fill my head,_

 _A million dreams are keeping me awake._

 _I think of what the world could be, a vision of the one I see._

 _A million dreams is all it's gonna take."_

Lily's breath evened out. She was asleep.

" _A million dreams for the world we're gonna make._ "

He stood and went to leave her room, stopping at the door to look back at her.

" _A million dreams for the world you're gonna make."_

He left her door half ajar, in case she needed him during the night, and after checking on Evan, he moved down the hall to the master bedroom.

He and Ginny still had some Valentine celebrating to do.

~end~


End file.
